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By Jim Knapp

Most tradespeople aren’t too good at tooting their own horn when it comes to letting customers know what is involved in installing, adjusting and repairing their stuff. Think about how much more testing you do than your predecessors did. In the last decade contractors have added a lot of testing to the work that they do. Industry standards have gotten more stringent and testing equipment has gotten a lot more common; not to mention less expensive.

As part of regular service do you:

Measure voltage

Check resistance

Test capacitance

Check start and run amperage

Test for ground or bonding

Measure enthalpy

Measure Megohms

Test venting

Check drainage

Test combustion efficiency

Test for carbon monoxide

Test for gas leaks

Test pump pressure

Test superheat and subcooling

Test static pressure drops and airflow

Test humidity

Do load calculations

Test ground fault

Test arc fault?

And as part of regular service do you:

Adjust airflow

Adjust combustion

Clear drains

Tighten connections

Improve efficiency

Improve safety?

You’ve acquired the tools, the learning and the experience to make these practices a part of your routine, so they have become routine. You hardly give them a thought. And that’s fine, but those practices have made a huge difference to efficiency, safety and reliability over the last generation. Chances are most of your customers have no idea. It’s not their fault. They can’t appreciate what they don’t know.

By letting your customers know what is entailed in making their equipment run well you will help yourself by:

Letting them feel safer and less anxious

Leaving them with a feeling that they received quality service for their money

Creating value in their eyes that will make them call you next time they need service or equipment.

It only takes a few extra minutes during a conversation to explain what you do and to answer any questions that they have. If you aren’t comfortable starting that conversation, then think about a small line card (like the distributors hand out) that lists what tests and adjustments you perform every time you touch their equipment. You can hand that to them when you arrive. That gives them the freedom to understand how much you do and to ask any questions that they have. There is more than one way to make the case that you are well worth calling when they need a professional. Find a way that’s comfortable for you.